Dealing with
concrete specifications, troubleshooting low-strength problems and ensuring
proper mixture submittals can be expensive and time consuming. This one-day
course will get into the code and specification requirements (ACI 318, 301,
ASTM C94) governing ready mixed concrete, including the new ACI Building
Code 318-08 exposure categories. It will suggest specification revisions for
all around benefits in performance and cost based on a specification
guideline document. The guideline document is the result of reviewing
numerous concrete specifications (Section 03300) belonging to large owners,
and it has been reviewed and supported by the NRMCA
Research, Engineering & Standards (RES) Committee.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Producers and
contractors who attend this seminar will benefit in their discussions
with design professionals. Equipped with in-depth knowledge about improving
concrete specifications, they will better be able to address performance
issues, avoid conflict, and save money. Producers, contractors,
engineers and testing labs will learn much from the discussions
on investigating low-strength problems, helping them to avoid issues that
impact partnering, project cost and schedule. For concrete producers,
understanding how to do a proper mixture submittal is an essential skill,
and it will be thoroughly covered during this seminar.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Troubleshooting low
strength problems is perhaps the primary reason for back charges for a
concrete company. This could be almost entirely avoided by knowledgeable
concrete technical personnel. The course will cover the analysis of strength
test results to identify the causes of low-strength problems, including
technician competence, and will provide guidance in tracking compliance with
specification requirements. Other topics to be discussed include
non-destructive testing techniques (such as the Rebound Hammer), core
testing, evaluating core test results for acceptance, and the assignment of
responsibility.

Another part of this course provides the necessary details required for an
efficient concrete mixture submittal following the ACI 318 flowchart for
Selection of Concrete Mixtures. Analysis of a typical mixture submittal will
be conducted as a group exercise.

Luke M. Snell, P.E., FACI, FASCE,
is a Senior Materials Engineer at Western Technologies, Phoenix Arizona
and is an Emeritus Professor from Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville. He has done extensive consulting work on construction and
concrete problems throughout the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, and
Algeria. He has also written over 200 articles on concrete, construction
materials, and construction education. Snell is the Chair of the ACI International Committee. He has been instrumental in stating ACI chapters in Mongolia, Algeria and Ethiopia and has worked with India and Saudi Arabia to start concrete certification programs.
He is or has been a member of several ACI Committees. He is a Past Chair of ACI Committees 517, Accelerated Curing of Concrete; E702, Designing Concrete Structures; the ACI Chapter Activities Committee; ACI 120, History of Concrete and the Educational Activities Committee. He is also a past member of the Board of Direction. Snell is an ACI Fellow and received the ACI Joe W. Kelly Award, the ACI Chapter Activities Award, and was the ACI Educational Committee Member of the Year.
He has received various other awards and was named one of the Ten Most Influential People of the Year in the Concrete Industry by Concrete Construction and Concrete Producer magazines, Construction Laureate of Mongolia, and the Henry L Kennedy Award from ACI.
He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri, Illinois, and Arizona.

Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E. is the Vice President of Technical Services at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). With over 20 years of experience in concrete technology, research, materials, and products he is responsible for the research program and laboratory at NRMCA.
A Fellow of ACI and a winner of ACI’s Young Professional Achievement Award, Dr. Obla is an active member of various ACI, ASTM, and TRB technical committees and served as Chair for ASTM C09.49 - Pervious concrete and is chairing ACI 232 - Fly ash.
He has published over 75 technical articles in journals and has presented in several international conferences.
He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Maryland. He served as Vice-President and President for the ACI San Antonio Chapter.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
HOURS

Architects and engineers will earn 8 Professional Development Hours upon
completion of this program.
A certificate of completion will be provided to
all attendees. This program also fulfills some of the requirements for
NRMCA’s STEPS™Certified Concrete Professional program.